Musical instrument



July 19, 1927;

1,636,133 G. w. Hom-0N f v MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Sept 25. 1925 agee/sv( Patented July 19, 1927.

vnarran STATES ,Pinamarl OFFICE.

GEORGE W. HORTON, OE QUEENS VILLAGE, NEW YORK, AssieNon To JOHN W.

EUNKER, OE NEW YORK, N. Y. l

i MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application tiled September This invention relates to musical instruments and to a method of playing the same. A particular object of the invention is to provide a .stringed musical instrument and music therefor through the aid of the latter of which al student can readily learn to play the instrument.

A further object to provide a musical instrument upon which 'selections can be played at random and a means on the instrument whereby a copy of the selection can be made so that it can be replayed at some subsequent time.

A further object is to number thc points where the various notes occur on the instrument so that any `selections can readily be played by a person not familiar with the regular note music asemploycd in the rendering of a selection.

Another object is to provide a musical instrument having a single string yand simple of construction and easy to play so that no musical instruction is necessary in order to manipulate the same.

Referring to the drawing wherein I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a stringed musical instrument constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a side view of the same showing the construction thereof, parts being shown in section to illustrate how the instrument is made,

Figure 8 is a piece of music from which the instrument can be played,

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of the note finder,

Figure 5 is a view in pcrspective'of the instrument pick, and

Figure 6 is a top plan view Of a portion of the neck of the instrument having applied thereto a modified form of note finder, and Y Figure 7 is an enlarged section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 showing the construction of my improved note finder.

Referring to the drawing in' detail 5 indicates the body of a musical instrument which is composed of al hollow box 6 or sound chamber having secured thereover a face piece7 one end of which is tapered off to provide the neck 8, this neck terminating in its outer end'in a widened port-ion 9 in` which is attached in the usual manner the 23, 1925. Serial No. 58,006.

plug 10 having a linger piece 11 and slotted end 12 into which one end of a wire or musical string` 13 is held, so that, when the plug is turned it tightens or tautens the string 13 to produce a higher pitch. The string passes through a suitable support 14. which consists of a slotted screw member the string passing through the slot 15 thereof and being maintained in spaced relation with the surface of the neck 8,

In the face piece 7 I also provide another supporting screw member 16 and an anchor plug 17 to which one end of the wire is secured.

Any turning movement of the plug 10 causes la tautening of the string over the screws 14 and 16 and thus the pitch of the string can be regulated.

`Then it is desired to play the instrument, the note bar or finder 18 which is a thin piece of bar metal is rested on the string and the string is picked by snapping it with a pick ror piece of Celluloid or other resilient material 19 at the point where the face is marked pickhere In order to guide the player the neck of the instrument is divided with a series of markings 2O which denote notes and half notes, the spacing being properly done so that when the string is twanged the note will play which corresponds with the numeral in each marked section` the numerals 21 as shown being numbered from 1 to 23 which gives two scales, it being noted that the marks get closer together as the musical scale is ascended.

The music sheet will consist then, for a particular selection of a series of'numhers as shown in Figure 3, the numbers being separated by dashes 22 which are of a length to correspond with the beat or rest of the muslo.

It is evident therefore that by moving the note finder or tuner 18 to each number successively and picking, the string, a musical composition is easily rendered, or in making up a composition the notes that are played Vare written down as numbers on the sheet. In this way anyone can compose or play musical selections without previous musical education.

In order to prevent loss of the note .finder I may mount the same on the neck S of the instrument and for this purpose I orovide in said neck 8 a slot 23, see Figs. 6 and 7, and in the slot I mount a roller 24 having flanged edges 25 which prevent the roller from falling out of the slot 23. T he roller carries loosely, a metallic spring arm or bar 26, the upper end 27 of which is resilient and is so tempered that it will normally be out of contact with the string 13 as shown in Fig. 7, but Which when engaged by the linger can be pressed against the Wire at any of the markings to vary the tune of the wire, to produce the desired note.

It is evident therefore that I have pro vided an instrument and chart combination whereby musical selections can be rendered and composed Without the :iid of a teacher or lessons in music.

Having described my invention what I claim is.

A musical instrument having :i stringl und :in elongated slotted neck, a roller in said slot `a flexible rod carried by said roller and overlying said string` said rod being cupable of being moved longitudinally ol said neck to touch the stringr at di'ermu points when pressed down to produce various notesy thereof when said string is twanged.

GEORGE WV. HORTON. 

